Obama: No Military Aid For Ukraine

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, during his vacation August 20, 2014. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

4302090

President Barack Obama said he would not supply military aid to Ukraine, which is now being invaded by Russia.

Instead, he promised more diplomatic and economic aid to the beleaguered country.

“It is not in the cards for us to see a military confrontation between the United States and Russia in this region,” he said in a Thursday afternoon press conference in the White House.

“A military solution to this problem is not going to be forthcoming,” he said, before claiming that Russia is losing the confrontation because its economy is being crippled by sanctions.

He blamed Russia for the invasion, but he declined to use the term when asked by the reporter if it is an invasion.

“The violence is encouraged by Russia, the separatists are supported by Russia, they are armed by Russia, they are funded by Russia,” he said.

“Russia has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty of Ukraine… and the new images of Russian forces in the Ukraine make that clear,” he said.

Russian combat units are making bite-sized advances into the eastern provinces of Ukraine, which are largely populated by ethnic Russians.

The open advance by Russian tanks and artillery is reversing a successful Ukrainian army offensive against ethnic Russian rebels.

Earlier, Putin supplied the rebels with weapons and military advisers, but not combat units.

The Ukraine crisis comes amid several other foreign policy crises.

These crises include the Syrian civil war, a troubled election in Afghanistan, the advance of jihadi forces in northern Iraq, the outbreak of a civil war in Libya, growing Chinese efforts to win control over the seas between Vietnam and the Philippines.

The good news for Obama is the latest war by Arab Muslims against Israel came to a temporary ceasefire Aug. 27, despite bungled White House diplomacy.